In Sanctuary Part 2 the refugees escape on rafts 
from a huge black mural — fire, smoke, flying debris —
36 feet wide and 7 feet tall.
 
It’s made of two 18 foot canvases 
(the seam in the center won’t be visible)
photographed on trees in my yard where it doesn’t fit.
Half the left side folds behind a tree
And I promise the gallery will not have oranges.
Sigh. 
Please come see it on a big wall in July.
This detail hints at the gritty texture throughout.
Meanwhile, the refugees continue to flee.
A frightened child clutches bags stamped “product”
at the front of a double-mast raft…
…while these men struggle to row
on a separate mast far behind the child.
I tried to photograph the finished raft in my studio
but these desperate rigs need to be witnessed in context.
Next, here’s a work in progress:
This woman, laden with bags, 
holds out her palm (of clay) to visitors 
in the front of another double raft.
Behind her this precious family rides.
I love this detail of the woman’s hand
holding the baby’s foot.
These “logs” wrapped in burlap and twine
bordered by tree bark, bounded by rope 
will become the base of their raft…
…sailing away from a burning land
to sanctuary.
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